Unexpected
by mooglehead
Summary: I wasn’t aware of it at the time, but falling in love with Inu Yasha had been inevitability since the moment I first touched his fuzzy ears. But what will I do now that I might be having a child with fuzzy ears of its own? (IYKag)
1. The Beginning of the End

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Unexpected

An Inu Yasha Fan Fiction by Caitlin M.

Moogleheadgirl@cs.com

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha or anything associated with it. So don't sic any lawyers on me.

Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End 

I wasn't aware of it at the time, but falling in love with Inu Yasha had been inevitability since the moment I first touched his fuzzy ears. It wasn't the only reason, but I believe even now that it was a major contributing factor to my affection for him. Meeting him was fate, loving him was fate. The only thing I wasn't expecting was… ending up expecting.

In any other situation, at any other time, I would've been happy. Ecstatic, even. But not now. Inu Yasha and I had both been working hard to make sure I actually graduated high school. Now the opportunity to go to university was calling me, and I had to answer. After much cajoling, threats, bribes, and promises (both empty and legitimate), I even got him to agree not to come hounding me while I was in school. I could go to university, he said, if I returned every weekend and over breaks (of course, I got this only after I had explained weekends and breaks to him. One day's the same as the next to my hanyou). This limited me to a local college, but I knew we didn't have the money to send me somewhere spectacular, anyway.

But if Inu Yasha knew I was having a baby… everything would change. He wouldn't let me out of his sight. If he wasn't lurking around in my time, he'd surely drag me back through the well to keep me in his. As much as I love him for it, he is the single most over-bearing, over-protective, single-minded entity on the planet, no matter what the era. I've been working, with his help and hindrance, for almost three years to catch up in high school. I knew I'd have to work like a dog (ha, ha) just to keep pace in college.

As urgent as the Inu Yasha issue was, it didn't compare to how apprehensive I was when it came to explaining this to my family. They'd been understanding enough about my mad dashes to and prolonged stays in the feudal period, and I'm certain they know about our relationship. But to admit to them that we'd done _that_ much…we weren't married in any sense of the word. I'm not sure he even knows what it is. For him, we are mates, and that's the end of it. I don't know if he'd agree to a ceremony and all that, and that's what my family would insist on. And it would have to be legal, too, but Inu Yasha doesn't technically _exist_ on this side of the well. And if we were married, what would change, and what would stay the same? We could go between the two worlds still; a little here, a little there… but there we go again with the sacrifice of my education.

One step at a time. One step at a time. Tell Mum, Souta, and Grandpa first, worry about the rest later.

Once again, my family's forgiveness and compliance amazes me. Mum seemed unsurprised at the news. Grandpa did freak, but Grandpa always freaks. I took the fact that he didn't arm himself with talismans and leap down the well screaming for vengeance as his acceptance. Souta, in fact, neither teased nor taunted me, only stared at me with such adoration I thought he must have misheard me and assumed I was giving birth to the baby Jesus. Or whoever is that guy the Christian church is so keen on. For a moment, one short, sweet moment, I thought I had nothing to worry about. I had my family's support. I could do this. Then Mum put her hand on my shoulder and said softly, "And what do you intend to _do_ with this child of Inu Yasha's?"

It occurred to me then that I had choices. But none of them appealed to me. I could keep the baby, and kiss college goodbye. I could try to give the child up for adoption, but since it would be a quarter demon, that would be stupid and dangerous. And I could…

But I couldn't do that. I wouldn't do it. Besides, how would I explain such a thing to Inu Yasha? He'd never forgive me for it. Even mentioning it would probably infuriate him. He'd hate me. 

These aren't options at all. Damned if I do, damned if I don't. I'm supposed to choose between my life and some kid I haven't even met yet. I doubt I could ever feel such malice towards a child to want to kill it. I can't begin to justify doing so before it's born.

I stayed in my time for as long as I could. Avoiding him. But I'd have to go eventually, and the more sleepless nights I spent staring at the ceiling, the more I realized that the third option was the best. Or thought, anyway. So when Inu Yasha became impatient and made an appearance, I resolved to break the news to him…and my plan.

I choose door number 3.

Ding, ding, ding! Tell her what she's won, Johnny.

It's more pain than she ever dreamed possible.

To be continued….

Author's Note:

Yup, continued. I don't think I made it too clear, but I don't feel like going back and writing it in:

This takes three years after Kagome fell through the well, and once she and Inu Yasha finally realized how retarded they are for each other, she manages to talk him into letting her stay behind to study, or something like that. The point is, he interferes less.

Anyway, be sure to tell me what you think. But don't get too mad at me. The opinions expressed by characters in this fan work are not necessarily mine. And remember those immortal words of Aretha Franklin: R-E-S-P-E-C-T! 


	2. All In How You Say It

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Unexpected

An Inu Yasha Fan Fiction by Caitlin M.

Moogleheadgirl@cs.com

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha or anything associated with it. So don't sic any lawyers on me.

Chapter 2: All in how you say it 

I broke the news to Inu Yasha just as he leapt down the well (with me in his arms, which he insisted on doing even when I came willingly). Well, half of it, anyway. At first, I thought he didn't hear me. Then he said, slowly, "That's good." Then we were climbing out the well and he said it again, louder. Then again and again, and faster. We had been walking but now we were running, while he shouted ecstatically, "Kagome, that's great! Great!" He was laughing and hugging and holding me while we practically flew back to Kaede's village. Under his noise, I whispered, "But there's more."

No one else would have heard. Not if they were human. But Inu Yasha's not human, and he did hear.

"Later," he said, dismissive. "There are more important things to be done."

Like bragging to every living soul in the village, apparently. With every surprised villager in whose face I was shoved, with every bark of joy from Inu Yasha, with every piece of hurried and earnest congratulation, I felt my courage shrink. I can't tell him. I'm doomed.

I knew I'd have to say something eventually, but he led me around the entire village before belatedly remembering that I might need rest and steered me into Kaede's hut. There I was sat down and fussed over by the priestess herself until Miroku, Sango, and Shippo wandered in. Everyone was speaking so fast, so loud. I felt sick. _I don't want to be here!_ kept screaming in my mind. From my position seated on a cushion on the floor, I tugged on Inu Yasha's coat

"We need to talk," I hissed.

"Shoot," he said cheerfully.

"Privately."

"Kagome, these are our friends. I think we can trust them… Well, not Miroku. Or Shippo. But the other two, sure."

Friends. It was odd. He rarely admitted having anything to do with them. To call them friends was a big step for Inu Yasha. But I didn't think they'd consider me a friend much longer. "No. I mean it."

"Kagome?" Sango interjected. "Is something wrong? Is it something we could help with?"

Trapped like a rat. I remember speaking to the floor. I remember telling Inu Yasha we couldn't keep the baby. I remember his face in mine as he yanked my head up and stared at me.

"What was that?"

"I can't have it, Inu Yasha. I'm too young."

"I think if there's a pup in you right now, it's safe to say you are perfectly capable of having one."

Pup. Oh gods. "I meant…in my world, it's not acceptable."

"Here, it's fine. You can just stay here…like you're supposed to, anyway."

"I…no. Just…no. I can't keep the baby." I could feel everyone in the room staring at us. I don't know what they were thinking. At that point, I was just trying to get the words out in the right order. I couldn't help but notice how sharp his teeth were. He wouldn't hurt me, I knew. But hell hath no fury like Inu Yasha. Period.

"And what do you suggest we do with it, if not keep it?" he growled. His voice was so low I could barely make it out. Deep breaths, deep breaths.

"There's something you can do, in my world…that makes it like the baby never happened. You go to the doctor and he can…stop it from being born…."

He was quiet for a moment. "I knew there was something wrong with your world," he said at last. "Do the doctors there make a habit of _killing_ pups before they're born?"

I shook my head. Kaede cleared her throat, which I'm sure she regretted when his head whipped around and he focused on her. "Inu Yasha, such procedures exist now…although I dare say in Kagome-sama's time it is less…arduous for the woman."

There was another silence. Then Inu Yasha exploded. "WHAT KIND OF SICK--" here he said something that should never, ever be repeated in the presence of either a) polite company or b) volatile chemicals, "SPENDS THEIR TIME THINKING THIS STUFF UP?!" He knelt by me and grabbed my hands. "Kagome, you can't." He sounded so desperate, but all I could do was lower my head. I felt him squeeze gently. "You can't," he repeated. 

"I have to," I snapped. I needed to get out. I wanted to get it over with. "Teen mothers are hardly regarded with warmth and kindness, and anyway, it would be impossible to get through school with—"

He dropped my hands and stood up. "That's it. I've heard enough. You'll keep it. You can go to that damn big school if you want, but you're having the kid." I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off. "You'll give birth to it, then I'll take it. I'll come back here, and you'll stay there and go to school, since you want it so bad." He hauled me to my feet. "The catch is, you're not coming back. Wave good bye to everyone, Kagome, because you're not seeing them again."

I fought him, but this is Inu Yasha we're talking about. I didn't stand a chance. To stop me from "sitting" him, he held me against his chest. If I tried subduing him, I'd end up under him. The others, for their part, did try to stop him, but they had been caught off-guard. He simply took off for the well, since they'd be unable to follow once he went through.

I hadn't been afraid of Inu Yasha in a long time, but I was now. Part of me hoped he would calm down soon. The other part figured I was doomed.

To Be Continued….

Authors Note:

Eeeeeeeeeeek! Thank you all for the enthusiastic responses. I like to know I'm not the only one who'd read this kind of stuff. You guys make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I'm glad I haven't got any angry letters from pro-lifers…yet. (I'm pro-life, too, but "Walk a mile in another man's shoes," you know?). Keep those reviews coming, and I'll post as often as I can. Whee.


	3. Understanding

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Unexpected

An Inu Yasha Fan Fiction by Caitlin M.

Moogleheadgirl@cs.com

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha or anything associated with it. So don't sic any lawyers on me.

Chapter 3: Understanding

Inu Yasha all but threw me on the kitchen table (and very nearly into Souta's breakfast). Sitting me down on the edge, and with my little brother as our captive audience, he pinned my hands at my sides and leveled his face with mine.

"You want to tell me, _slowly_, why you thought that would _good_ idea?" he whispered. I soon learned that the only thing more terrifying than a shouting-at-the-top-of-his-lungs Inu Yasha was a quiet one. Although I knew it would do very little for his present mood, I felt a few tears make a mad dash for freedom, and I didn't bother to stop them.

I tried, I really tried. I explained how I was considered too young to have children by current standards. I told him how much university meant to me, the idea of a future. I tried to tell him how a family would prevent me from getting very far. 

He had seemed to be cooling off, but as soon as that little blunder found it's way out of my big mouth, I went and set him off again. Fortunately, he didn't try to throttle me, as I was half-afraid he might. He just spoke calmly and rationally, which is extremely unsettling coming from Inu Yasha.

"Kagome, I've visited this bass-ackwards place often enough, and I know you well enough to know that these 'big tests' are not what you want. I _know_ what you want is back on the other side of the well, with me." He leaned forward a bit and nuzzled my cheek. I felt his hands lift, taking the pressure off and letting lift my arms. I put them around his neck "They just make you _think_ it's what you want. You don't need to give up anything. Just come home with me. We'll forget this even happened. It'll be all right."

I was tempted, despite the fact that he was encouraging me to dump my family and take off with him, all while Souta was watching with that rapt expression. Souta…he'd tell me to do it, too. He's really no help at all. But I couldn't forget all those years at school, having it drilled into my head that I _need_ to get into a good college. If it was as simple as, "Hey, never mind," then what were all the late nights, fast breaks for the well, grueling tests, and truly ghastly "illnesses" for? Could I really just let it drop like that?

I started to protest, half to point this out and half to stop Inu Yasha from trying anything… intimate… while Souta was watching. Inu Yasha, however, was his usual pig-headed self, and refused to take no for answer.

"Why are you so eager to destroy this child? Is it something I'm just not understanding?" He had raised his voice again. It was a relief. I know what to do if he shouts; it's easy to shout back. 

"I'm just…panicking, OK? You might imagine that this doesn't happen to me very often. I don't know what to do. I'm trying to make the decision that won't completely rearrange my life!" 

"What are you, retarded? Nothing ever stays the same, things can and will happen, and…and…and you can't _do_ this!" He grabbed his head in his hands and gave his hair a vigorous shake, as if that would help him understand what was going through my mind. I don't blame him…I'd kind of like to know, myself. _You can't do this_; he kept saying that over and over again. I wanted to fold, to back out. To admit, for once, that he was right. But there was something in me that persisted in thinking I had no choice. That thing must have taken control of my mouth, because I didn't want to say what I did, but that didn't stop it from coming out.

"Maybe I don't _want_ things to change, and yes, _I can_!" 

He bit off whatever he was going to say next, and bounded out of the kitchen before I could say anything else.

I spent the rest of the day in my room, contemplating what I jerk I was, and Mum found Inu Yasha sulking on the roof a few hours later, after a neighbor called to let us know there was someone up there. Then she paid a visit to me.

I got the whole nine yards: how I'm nearly an adult now, capable of making my own decisions, and how she couldn't make me do anything. Then she looked me straight in the eye, and I hate it when she does that because it makes me want to do whatever she says. She very rarely demands anything of me and I take it for granted. When there's direct eye contact involved, I'm helpless to resist.

"Inu Yasha and I have spoken," she started, and I tried to picture my mother and him having a serious, sit-down discussion…and failed. "Kagome, dearest, I know you have other ideas, but we think it would be best if you kept the child. Shush…" she held my face in her hands. "Please understand. Or don't, if you prefer. But I don't think you realize what this means to him."

I had a vague idea. With your parents' being dead and your one surviving relative on a constant quest to kill you, a loving family might be a nice thing to have. My voice seemed to have abandoned me, however, and all I could do was nod. Fine.

We went with Inu Yasha's initial plan… the one he had snapped out shortly before his escape from Kaede's hut. We figured that it made the most sense…But Inu Yasha made it very clear that I was free to change my mind.

I would have, but to be honest, the decision was made. We were already preparing to send me to school and to send Inu Yasha down the well with the baby. Provided it went through. It occurred to me that we two might be the only ones that were capable of it. When I voiced this concern, Inu Yasha just laughed at me. Apparently, such an idea was so ridiculous, it didn't even make sense. I could kill him.

Well, if I didn't love him so much, anyway.

The actual pregnancy wasn't all that eventful. Except for a black cloud of bad karma hovering over the house, nothing really changed. I appeared to be the only one very deeply effected by my predicament. Either my family had better poker faces than I had thought, or else they had learned to expect the unexpected with me and just make do. Even Inu Yasha was pretty much himself, although sometimes he gave me a look that made my heart ache. And when he put his big, warm hand on my growing belly, I though I might cry. Sometimes, I did. Then he'd scowl and tell me what a crybaby I was, and I'd chew him out about being macho, and for a moment, it was like we'd forgotten everything and were ourselves again. Which made it infinitely worse.

Since the baby wasn't going to exist in my world, it would be unwise to see a doctor about my present condition. It would be very hard to explain where Inu Yasha was going to take it and why it wasn't going to come back for check ups. It was very unsettling not knowing what was going on while my body did weird, unpleasant things to me, but Mum had, of course, been through the same thing, and everyone kept a close eye on me. But for several months, all Inu Yasha and I had to do was sit around the house and mope.

It was a very _long_ eight months.

The baby was slightly premature. It wasn't enough to endanger it in any way (I don't think… I didn't exactly have much to go on), but I went into labor while no one was home. I'm sure if my family had any indication that I would be giving birth, they wouldn't have gone on a shopping trip and left Inu Yasha and me home alone. As it was, they were out, buying formula, diapers, and other things required when caring for a baby.

I suppose I should have been grateful. Though it was probably the most painful thing I've ever experienced in my life, I was not in labor long. Inu Yasha was beside himself, panicking but trying to keep me calm. He held my hand while I pushed, his face white. I thought I could hear his heart beating, but it might have been my own pulse in my ears. I was starting to black out, and I was sick with fear. Neither of us knew what we were doing, and women could _die_ in childbirth. 

Then I heard a cry, and a door opening. There was a shout, or a loud noise, or something, and then I passed out completely.

I found out later that Mum, Grandpa, and Souta had gotten in just as Inu Yasha was wrapping the baby in a towel. As soon as they walked into my bedroom, which is where I had gone once the contractions started, he grabbed the bags of baby stuff from them, told them I needed a healer, and headed for the well.

It occurred to me that we hadn't even said good bye, and now I wouldn't even be able to apologize, which is what I had been planning on doing after the baby was born. I thought he'd at least stay around for a few days. By the time I'd be back on my feet, the well would be sealed.

After lots of bed rest, and, indeed, a trip to the doctor, it was decided that I would survive. Which was all well and good, but it had been the scariest thing I had been through in quite a while, and for a few weeks afterwards I was something of a hypochondriac, convinced that every little thing wrong with me was that awful afternoon catching up to me. But I recovered, and eventually I felt well enough to try the well.

I climbed down gingerly, and hopped off the rope ladder just a foot from the floor of the well, eyes closed. After a moment, I looked up and saw the well house roof over my head.

Damn.

To be continued…

Author's note:

I'm not depressing, am I? Laughs. I'm glad that bit's over… the pregnancy is not the focus of the story, it's just a hurdle. 

I'd like to take this time now, not as though you all haven't already heard this or something like it: teen sex = BIG FAT NO. I don't know… I just figured, as long as I have your attention, I can preach for a moment. This stuff is very nice for story material, but I personally think that, as much as I love them, Kagome and Inu Yasha were being incredibly stupid. You guys all have your own lives, but keep that in mind. This story will, eventually, have a happy ending, but it doesn't always work like that in real life.

That's all. See you next time, same bat time, same bat channel. 


	4. Admitting Is the First Step

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Unexpected

An Inu Yasha Fan Fiction by Caitlin M.

Moogleheadgirl@cs.com

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha or anything associated with it. So don't sic any lawyers on me.

Chapter 4: Admitting Is the First Step

Four and a half years had passed since the day Inu Yasha took off with the baby. My life was going as well as could be expected. I was putting myself back together, basically. I figured things would start looking up eventually.

And they did. Just not the way I had counted on. 

It was just after my last final exam of the semester. I had a course or two take over summer, but after that I'd have fulfilled all the graduation requirements and would be ready to move on into the real world. I had no idea what I was going to do then. For some reason, I hadn't been bothered to think that far.

Almost as soon as I entered school, I had somehow managed to obtain a boyfriend. Don't ask me how I did this, because I don't know. But Hideaki and I had been going out steadily since. He's a year younger, but because of my late start and slow going, he'd already graduated. He had an internship at an office near campus, and often stopped by to visit. 

One such a visit was the while I was sitting outside, sipping on a soda and wondering what I was going to do with the short space of free time I would have between end of second semester and the first day of summer school. Lost in thought, I didn't notice he was sitting next to me until he reached over and helped himself to a large gulp of my drink.

He asked me what I was thinking, and I explained my dilemma to him. He turned his eyes skyward.

"We could go somewhere together. Maybe to the ocean for a few days. How does that sound?" he suggested. "Just the two of us…we could get a room together…." He watched me with anticipation.

"Hmmm." I got like this sometimes… neither here nor there. Inside my head, I was screaming. He had never suggested anything so intimate before, and I didn't know what to do. I felt rather than saw him watching me for a moment, then he reached out to hold my chin.

"Kagome," he started, turning my head to face him. "You probably haven't noticed, but our relationship has hardly been all heat and passion. If anything, it's been a very nice, very sedate friendship." I started to protest, but he continued. "I don't mind. I've enjoyed it very much. Maybe it hurt when I first realized it, but I've come to accept it. And nothing could stop me from being your friend. But I can't help but think there's someone or something else you're thinking about…constantly, I might add. It's extremely obvious to anyone who knows you well, and we know each other _very_ well. And as a friend, I think I have a right to know _everything_. I mean it. The whole story."

I looked away, suddenly very interested in my drink. I noticed that if I looked at it in just the right way, the reflection of a cloud in it looked very much like Inu Yasha's hair. And it was just pathetic I should think about him when my boyfriend of over four years had just broken up with me. 

Only Hideaki is hideously, horribly, unforgivably _right_. I had glommed onto him at first, probably because I was determined to prove to the world that I could and would move on, and the fact that the two of got along so well is probably what kept the relationship going. But in the end we were just friends.

I supposed I should have felt guilty, but it was a relief to know that he wasn't hurt by it. Much. Over the years I had very nearly convinced myself that I was a decent human being. If I had, say, broken Hideaki's heart beyond repair, all that work would have been for nothing. 

I studied the Inu Yasha cloud in my cup for another moment. Well, what did I have to lose? I took a deep breath.

"Ihadababy," I said all at once.

"Er…"

Slow down, girl.

"I had a baby."

"Oh…but…um…recently?"

"No. Just before I entered school."

"But you…er… you don't have one now," he said slowly.

"No."

"Am I allowed to ask what happened?"

"The father wanted the baby, I thought I wanted college… we went our separate ways." I sounded reasonably calm, but already I could feel tears working their way free. I had thought this a long-dead issue. I guess I was wrong.

"You _thought_? And what happened to him?" Hideaki leaned over and took my hand. He squeezed it, and I realized I wasn't fooling anyone. Screw appearances. It's crying time.

"He…wasn't from around here. When I had it, he took it back home with him. I haven't really heard from him since…. Oh, Hideaki, I don't know if I even had a boy or a girl. I don't know what he named it, I don't know anything."

He pulled me into his arms and whispered quiet encouragement into my ear. "Wouldn't the hospital have records? A birth certificate?"

"I had it at home. It was the middle of the day, and no one else was home. There was no one to take me to the hospital. It was just me and Inu Yasha."

"That's kind of a weird name."

"He's a weird guy."

"He couldn't drive or use the phone?"

"No. He…wasn't used to modern conveniences. It's not that advanced where he comes from."

"You never mentioned him before."

"I thought it best to forget."

He was quiet again.

"Kagome, you're not telling me everything."

He's on to me. "You'll think I'm crazy."

"No. I promise. Just tell me."

So I did. I didn't care if Hideaki tried to have me committed once I was finished. I was just sick of keeping it all in. I told him all of it, from start to finish. The afternoon light dwindled, and night started to fall. Eventually, he pulled me to my feet and started walking me. I didn't know where we were headed, but I didn't care much, because I was still going. He led me through the city, taking me to a building and inside, and I realized we were in his apartment. He sat me on a couch and handed me some tea, but I was still going strong. I talked well into the night, and when I finally finished, Hideaki stared at me, obviously dazed.

"I think…I think I'll be taking you home tomorrow morning," he said at last. Then he stuck me in his room and took some blankets out to the couch for himself. 

To Be Continued…

Author's note:

I'm getting better at making the chapters longer. You should all be very proud of me for that. See you next time.


	5. What Are Friends For?

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Unexpected

An Inu Yasha Fan Fiction by Caitlin M.

Moogleheadgirl@cs.com

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha or anything associated with it. So don't sic any lawyers on me.

Chapter 5: What Are Friends For?

The train ride home was quiet. Part of me wanted to apologize to Hideaki for being so completely devoted to a guy who had rejected me years ago. Another part wanted to kiss him for being so understanding.

He held my hand and simply stared out the window as the train bumped along the track. It was grey, drizzling, and in general one of the most depressing sights I had experienced. So I stared at my lap instead.

I hadn't been home in months. I wondered how much bigger Souta was. He had been growing like a weed the last few years. He'd already outgrown me.

Only Mum and Grandpa were home, however. I'd have to wait to see my no-longer-little brother. 

"Kagome, Hideaki. To what do we owe the pleasure?" Mum asked as we walked in. Translation: Why haven't I seen you in over three months? Instantly I felt guilty for forgetting about my family…again.

"Kagome hasn't been feeling well and I thought…" 

Hideaki and Mum continued to chat, but I found myself wandering through the house. The living room, immaculately kept, as usual. Souta's room was a sty…no surprise there. My room was exactly as I left it, with the exception of the pile of dirty laundry I had left in the hamper. Mum had apparently sneaked in to wash it and put it away. I made a mental note to stop leaving extra work for her, especially when I wasn't even living there anymore.

Eventually I made my way outside and, inevitably, to the well. It looked so innocuous, just an old well in an old shrine. I leaned on one side and looked down. I could just barely see the bottom in the gloom. The overcast sky didn't help.

The well house darkened momentarily as Hideaki stepped through the doorway.

"So this is it?" he asked after a moment, moving beside me. "This is the bridge between the past and the present?" He sounded incredulous, and I didn't blame him. If I hadn't lived it, I wouldn't have believed it.

"Yeah. But it doesn't work now. Inu Yasha sealed it up. So I'm sorry if you think you've been dating a mental case. There's no way to prove my story."

I must have looked cold. Hideaki took off his jacket and draped it around my shoulders. It was much too big to fit properly, but I pulled it all the way on. It was still warm from having been on him.

"Why would he seal it?" 

"Because he hates my guts. Would you want anything to do with me after what I did?" I rested more of my weight on the well wall.

"I really think you should stop beating yourself up over this. What's done is done. There's nothing you can do about the past. Why waste the energy?"

"Because _I screwed it all up_! I'm so stupid and selfish and…and…I'm just horrible, OK? I _ditched_ the one person who meant anything to me, and for what? I could have waited for school. It wasn't going anywhere." Something in me tried to sniffle pathetically, but I stopped myself.

"You did what you thought was best," he said quietly, putting his hand on my back. He's so great to put up with me when I'm like this. Had the roles been reversed, I would have slapped me by now.

We were both quiet for a moment. Then I murmured, "Yeah, well…that's all the past now." Cue heavy sigh.

"I completely agree. It's about time you made amends. Give my regards to Inu Yasha." Hideaki gave me a cheerful smile and a pat (read as: shove) on the back hard enough to throw off my balance and send me flying face-first down the well.

Shoot. He believed me. Bet he'll feel pretty stupid when he looks down and I'm sprawled out on the bottom of the well.

Only after landing (on my face) and brushing myself off, I realized something was amiss. There was sunlight making it's way down the well shaft. 

No. NO. I am in a decrepit well in a creepy well house on my family's property _in the city of Tokyo_. I am _not_ in a slightly-less-decrepit well in the middle of a forest in the feudal era. Not, not, _not_. I kept repeating that in my head, hoping that, although the trick had never worked in the past, it would now. 

Only there was most definitely sunlight.

During, shall we say, happier times, we had put a rope ladder down the side of the well to make my comings and goings a little easier. I was alarmed to note that it was still there, albeit in disrepair. I spent a moment wondering if I dared climb it, until I remembered that:

I would need to climb out and then hop back in to go home The feudal area is home to many large, creepy insects, who like dark, damp places…not entirely unlike the well 

Which helped me make up my mind considerably quicker.

I was not expecting was to climb up and run straight into Sango, almost literally. I felt a twinge of satisfaction when it became apparent that she had not been expecting to find me, either.

To Be Continued….

Author's note:

Despite what you may think, no, I don't hate you guys. I am just really, _really_ lazy. Thanks to the people who sent me what can only be described as threatening letters, "requesting" that I update. You guys helped me get out of my funk and get my rear in gear. The next chapter will arrive in a more timely fashion, I promise. Possibly longer, too. Feel free to email me. And not just about the story. I like hearing from people. You can tell me what you think of …er…homemade strawberry preserves on buttered toast, if you want. On a completely unrelated note, you'll never guess what I'm eating for a snack. ::Laughs::

Ok. Catch you later, hep cats. 


	6. Restoration

__

Unexpected

An Inu Yasha Fan Fiction by Caitlin M.

Moogleheadgirl@cs.com

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha or anything associated with it. So don't sic any lawyers on me.

Chapter 6: Restoration

"Ka…go…me?" Sango breathed. She had a little bunch of flowers in her hand, and had been kneeling by the well wall. But now she stood and grinned, tossing the flowers aside. She moved as if to help me out the well, but then stopped and stepped back.

For a moment, I faltered. I had hoped Sango would be the most understanding of the group. I thought she would realize the importance of sacrifice…or whatever it is I had done. Catching my distressed expression, she smiled warmly.

"I'm not really supposed to strain myself," she said, by way of explanation. I realized her belly had a slight bulge to it, not entirely unlike the one mine had had a few years ago. I forgot, for a moment, the certain doom that I was convinced awaited me, and felt my face split into a delighted grin.

Following the direction of my gaze, Sango gave me a secretive, knowing look. "The monk and I reached an understanding."

I clambered out, laughing. "Why do I get the feeling, Sango-chan, that _you_ were the one doing all the understanding?"

"You wouldn't be entirely wrong, but as Miroku has so often insisted, 'nobody's perfect.'"

I gasped theatrically and covered my mouth with my hand. "First name basis? If I didn't know better, I'd say you were serious."

She laughed. "Let's not go crazy. I simply agreed to bear his child and help him raise it. Nothing too binding." 

"Well, I know you can handle it. The question is, can he?" I felt some relief, falling back into our habit of bantering back and forth. I could almost believe I had never left. And was surprised to find I liked the idea. I had never realized how much the feudal era meant to me, or how much I missed it. Just being back made me want to cry. From happiness, though. I had been doing too much of the other kind recently.

"He swears to me he will be honorable and responsible. And if he is not, Inu Yasha has promised swift and painful retribution on my behalf."

Inu Yasha. Hearing his name on this side of the well made my chest tighten. He could be picking up my scent at any moment, racing into the clearing for some retribution of his own. Again Sango correctly interpreted my expression. She laid a hand on my arm.

"You didn't plan on returning here, did you? Don't worry. You know he would never hurt you. And he's learned some patience since last you saw him."

I stared.

"Fatherhood will do that." Hearing that word in connection with that name was quite possibly the most surreal experience of my life. Although I was aware that Inu Yasha had the child, and would be doing his best to raise it, for some reason it had never occurred to me that he would be _fathering_ it.

At the moment, the idea was too bizarre to dwell on. Switching subjects seemed a better choice.

"What were you doing here with those flowers?" I asked, indicating the forgotten heap of stems and petals some feet behind her. She looked back.

"Oh. I used to come here and pray for you to come back. Those were…an offering, I guess. It seems a little silly, but it made me feel better. It had never seemed an injustice that only you and Inu Yasha could use the well until I wanted to go through and find you. I felt useless just standing around waiting for something to happen, so I started praying. If nothing else, it made me feel better. But this time it worked. Oh, I can't wait to see the monk's face when I bring you back. He used to tease me so much…"

For Sango, this was quite a speech, and once she was done, she simply took my hand and started towards the village. I felt blinding panic surge into my head, leaned against her with all my weight. _No! I can't do it. Not now. Not him. NO._

She seemed quite determined, however, and it was either her resolve or what integrity I had left that prevented me from dropping her hand and making a break for the well. We made our way back to the village, and I tried not to drag on her arm. But it was hard to handle the idea of seeing him after so long, and after the way we left each other. What was I going to say? "Sorry about the fuss, I was feeling a bit pissy?" Throw myself to the ground and beg forgiveness? Maybe I could feign composure? No, I was going to fall apart the moment I saw him. I just knew it.

Sango fairly kicked down the door to Kaede's hut once we reached it. The part of me that wasn't half-mindless with panic wondered why, after all these years, they still hadn't managed to arrange for a home of their own? 

"Bouzu!" she yelled through the door (an "affectionate" nickname no doubt picked up from Inu Yasha). I realized that she had changed a bit over the years I had been gone. I was delighted at her newfound playfulness, but I couldn't help but wonder if she picked a few bad habits, too. Then again, look who was talking.

"Yes, my dulcet darling?" he called back in a flowery, over-the-top voice. It occurred to me that their relation was probably one of profuse sarcasm, cynicism, and loving verbal abuse. The thought of what their average day must be like brought a smile to my lips.

"I think you might want to say hello to our visitor," she smiled, pushing me through the doorway and into the hut, where I would be out of the sun's glare and more visible to whoever might be inside. I heard a shout that may have been my name, and suddenly found myself crushed in an enthusiastic bearhug. That it came from Miroku, who had always called me "Lady" and was usually the picture of composure (sort of) was surprising enough, but more of a shock was that his hands stayed just where they landed: squarely around my shoulders.

Well, I had changed, and Sango had changed, and I realized that it was ridiculous for me to expect something to remain constant even if I had not witness the alterations. I was hit by a sudden urge to explore everything, to see what I had missed. How had Shippo grown up? Was Kaede still as cagey as ever or had she mellowed a bit? Perhaps she had only gotten worse…

For that matter, what had _he_ gotten up to? I expected him to be in the same state he was in over _four years ago_.

A lot could have happened in that time.

So maybe I wasn't as afraid. At least, I was slightly less convinced that he would attack me as soon as he saw me. I considered it an improvement.

Sango and Miroku kept me busy for a while, sitting me down and feeding me and filling me in on whatever happened between them. It was like a 180 in their relationship. I cannot begin to describe how odd it was to see them in the same room, sitting within two feet of each other, and yet Miroku managing not to be beaten over the head every five minutes. Although they were being very nice, and of course I was glad to spend time with them after so long, it felt like they were stalling. Every moment I sat on Kaede's floor I expected _him_ to come crashing in. Only the crash never came.

Perhaps they weren't stalling. Maybe they only wanted to share their good news with me. It was still very obvious that they were avoiding any mention of both Inu Yasha and my child. I found it unsettling, as if my closest friends were hiding something monumentally important from me.

I noticed that Miroku was flexing his cursed hand, as it was stiff. I interrupted Sango's recount of some misadventure or another to ask him if it was bothering him. He smiled sheepishly at the question.

"I tore it again a few days ago. It was an accident, of course, but Sango was livid."

"To put it lightly," she snapped. "If it weren't for the fact that he nearly died, I would have killed him."

This sounded like an old argument, and sure enough, Miroku and Sango were already assuming their respective battle stations. I listened to them bicker back and forth for a moment, wondering how on earth they managed to get their relationship this far. Then I remembered that most of the "quality time" Inu Yasha and I ever had with each other was spent in shouting matches. Considering how I had found my way back (well, very near, anyway), maybe they were getting along better that it would seem.

Eventually, their argument wound down, and it basically boiled down to the fact that Miroku wouldn't even have gotten hurt if he hadn't been doing something incredibly stupid at the time (read as: showing off).

Although it had been maybe an hour and a half since Sango had helped me out of the well, I felt like I had been here forever and had managed to get absolutely nothing done.

"Are you alright? I mean, how big must the hole be now?" I asked, trying to get my mind off of my own miseries. Although, admittedly, all I was doing this by comparing them to someone else's.

"You must remember that it will have grown over the years. And the cut only made it wider. Not much, but still, it mean's I'm that much closer to…well, you know the story."

And suddenly, it was as if they didn't want to talk about themselves anymore. I could understand why. Everything they had together was rather disheartening. Even the baby on its way, which should be a happy thing, was overshadowed by the fact that its purpose was to inherit Miroku's curse and continue the family bloodline once the wind tunnel in his hand consumed him. It was a lot harder to blame Miroku for anything that he did when you remembered that.

There was a quiet moment, and then Sango stood up. "Well, it's about time we start walking. He'll come back for us if we take much longer."

Miroku helped me up. "Inu Yasha wanted to check out a shard rumor. We have to really chase after them now; there's so few left, we don't want any to slip through our fingers. We've got quite the collection nowadays."

That, of course, did not explain why they were in the village when he, apparently, was not. I said as much to Miroku.

"Oh, he was letting us rest here for a while. He took off early this morning with--- um… with the others, and told us he'd walk slowly so we can catch up eventually. We've just been procrastinating."

Sango sniffed indignantly. "Maybe you have." Then the three of us burst out laughing, though whether it was from Sango's feigned hypocrisy or collective nervous energy, I don't know.

We hit the road soon after. We were all laughing and chatting as before, but none of us knew what would happen when Inu Yasha and I had our "reunion," and eventually we were lagging so much we were practically walking backwards. In late afternoon, Sango suggested we eat (I had noticed that she looked tired, but Miroku had whispered to me that at this point she would _not_ tolerate any implication that she couldn't keep up, so I didn't say anything). I took my food with me, and told them I would just wander around for a while. They only let me go when I promised to stay close enough for them to hear any screams, and vice versa (those were Miroku's words, not mine)

I picked a random direction and wandered to my heart's content, nibbling as I went. I had thought I wanted to be alone with my thoughts, but they didn't feel like being bothered at the moment, and then I just didn't want to be alone.

So when I heard a little voice singing, I decided to investigate.

The source of the singing proved to be a little girl playing in a tiny clearing in the woods by the road. She seemed to be having a very good time playing with her doll by a patch of mud, getting both the toy and her kimono very filthy in the process. 

I was happy just to watch her playing for a while. 

Her kimono, though clean (getting dirtier by the moment, though) and well cared for, was obviously old and was likely a hand-me-down. Her doll was of the rag variety, and judging by the look of it, she had made it herself. She couldn't have been older than five years old. I wondered what she was doing out her on her own. Well, if she was lost, she didn't seem the least bit distressed.

Finally, I got tired of watching and decided to join her. I made sure to make a lot of noise while I was still far away, so she'd know I was coming. When she heard my approach, she jumped up and looked at me, but she was anything but afraid. She just gave me a huge grin and shouted, "Hi!"

I was caught off-guard, not only by her enthusiastic greeting but also by her hair. I had thought it was black, but when it caught the fading sunlight, it looked very dark grey. How unusual.

I wasn't given time to study her, however, as she invited me to join her immediately and without question. She produced another doll from her kimono, handed it to me, and began detailing the complexities of the dolls' world. Although her explanation was very long and involved in five-year-old speak, in plain Japanese, it boiled down to dipping them in mud. It was quite fun.

I don't know how long we played. I was a prince rescuing a princess, a magic frog, and a sorceress. I forgot all about Sango and Miroku as my little playmate and I had countless adventures.

While we played, she told me about her family. I had never met anyone who talked so much (well, who talked a lot and _wasn't_ irritating), or so enthusiastically. A favorite topic was her father. The way she described the man, he was a regular super hero. But I guess all little kids feel that way about their parents. She also had an older brother she apparently idolized. She obviously loved her family, and in the setting sun, her eyes glowed with affection.

It almost looked as if her eyes really _were_ glowing for a moment, and for some reason I felt uneasy. Then she turned her head to look into the woods behind her, her eyes hidden behind her mane of hair, and the feeling passed. She stood abruptly.

"I have to go back now. It's almost nighttime, and that means I have to eat dinner." She cocked her head, considering me. "You can come with. You can eat dinner and meet my daddy. You'll like him."

She took my unresisting hand and pulled me into the woods. I felt a prickle on my skin and realized she had accidentally scratched me with her almost-too-long nails. "Sorry," she said. "But you'll like my daddy. He gets a little grumpy sometimes, but he's a nice guy. Just make sure you finish all your food before you ask to be excused." I bit back a laugh. "Of course, if you're really full but still have food left, you can sneak it to Shippo. He'll eat _anything_."

The uneasy feeling came back with a vengence. "Shippo?" I whispered. She turned her head a bit, and I saw under her hair that her ears were slightly pointed.

"He's my big brother. Well, he's not really my big brother, but Daddy says he acted like my mommy was his, too, and he hasn't been able to get rid of him. That's what Daddy says. But I think he like Shippo more than he says he does."

Shit. Shit shit shit shitshitshitshitshitSHIT.

Of all the small children on this side of the well, _of course_ my own daughter would be the one I found.

To Be Continued…

Author's note:

I really do feel awful about how long it's taken me to get this much done. I had this great idea all set up in my head, but as soon as I sat in front of the computer, I couldn't figure out how to do it. I'm INSANELY sorry. With the time I took, I wish I had more than 4 ½ pages for you. I promise I'll get right to work on the next one. Right now. Honest. 

Well, thanks for putting up with me this long. Until we meet again!


	7. Revelation

__

Unexpected

An Inu Yasha Fan Fiction by Caitlin M.

Moogleheadgirl@cs.com

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha or anything associated with it. So don't sic any lawyers on me.

Chapter 7: 

Distantly, I wondered how many times in a day one could be lead to one's doom by well-meaning meddlers. This would be my third; I doubted I would escape at this point. While the girl pulled me through the woods, happily chatting and not apparently minding that it was all one-sided, I contemplated making a break for it. But it was the same as when Sango had taken me into the village. I had already abandoned this poor kid once in her life. To do it again would be unforgivable, even if she had no idea who I was. So I let her tow me and tried to prepare myself for impending doom.

The girl continued talking. She was telling me again about her father. With a funny kind of jolt, I realized she might have few things to say about her mother… about _me_.

So I asked. Without really wanting to know, afraid of what she might say, utterly convinced that she would hate me as soon as she discovered that I was not a stranger (although, in a way, I suppose I was), I asked.

"What about your mum? What's she like?" I felt like a jerk, since I knew full well she had no idea. The sun was falling faster now, and I felt cold. I realized Hideaki's jacket was still tied around my waist, where I had put it that morning, and I now pulled it on. Anything to avoid eye contact.

The lively chatter ceased, and she looked at me for a moment. How someone who wasn't even five yet managed to develop such an intense stare, I'll never know. Slowly, carefully, she told me, "My mommy isn't around. She left a long time ago. She left me when I was a baby. Now Daddy and Shippo and Grandpa Myoga and auntie Sango and uncle Miroku take care of me."

"I'm sorry," I whispered. And I was. For all this time, in my mind, she had only been "the baby." I had never once stopped and thought about the fact that she was growing all the time, getting older and realizing her family was missing one crucial member…. I was sorry for letting her go, and for letting her down. I had known her for all of an hour, but I was finding myself liking her more with each passing moment. She was so sweet, so cute. I felt a little flush of guilt; it was almost like I only wanted her now that I had met her, like I had to test her before I could accept her. This wasn't the case, I knew, but it wasn't a comforting thought.

"_You_ didn't make her leave, so don't say sorry." There was a pause. "Daddy said she was afraid… he said she didn't think she would take good care of me. She was afraid, so she left."

Her face was clear, almost hardened. Even though she was practically still a baby, it made her look very old, somehow.

"That's all Daddy will say about her. A lot of times he won't talk about her at all. Shippo tells me lots about her. He really liked her. But he says the same thing."

The hard look was disappearing now.

"It's not fair. It's not _good enough_. I want her to come back. I want her to be the best mommy ever. She was mean to leave us, but I bet Daddy wants her to come back, too. We'd be nice. I'd take a bath whenever she asked and eat all my dinner, even the icky parts. I wouldn't even scratch Shippo if he was mean to me. I just want her to come home. I just want her to like me."

Tears had been fighting their way out during this tirade, and now they fell freely. She didn't sob, and her shoulders didn't shake. It was just a little trickle down her cheeks, punctuated occasionally by a sniffle. I had no idea what to do. I should be doing something, I knew. Even if it was just patting her back or telling her it would be OK, or _something_. But I didn't want to intrude. I was simultaneously a stranger, without any real right to infringe on her like this, and the mother who had abandoned her. Both unwelcome witness and instigator. Finally I couldn't take it, and knelt beside her, but by then, she had regained her composure.

"Sorry," she said, wiping her face. "I'm not s'posed to cry."

"Says who?" I asked, slightly alarmed that Inu Yasha might have impressed on her that she was somehow not allowed to be sad.

"Says me. I hate crying. It's stupid and nothing gets done when you cry. It just makes your head hurt and you have to wash your face after."

She may have been about five physically, but I think mentally, she was pushing forty. I had no idea where this profound miniature adult had come from, nor did I know where she put the energetic little girl who had been standing in her place only a few minutes ago.

And then, just as suddenly as it had come, the moment was gone. She wiped away the last of her tears, smiled brightly, and once again took my hand.

"Come on. You still have to meet Daddy."

She took my hand again, and this time I didn't panic. I didn't want to run. I wanted to see Inu Yasha. I'd face him. Anything would be better than this moment; the weight of five years' repressed guilt sliding out from the back of my mind and onto my shoulders. So I didn't let go. I twined my fingers in with hers and gave them a little squeeze. She turned to me and smiled, and for a moment I could see the tiny grown up again, but then it was gone. We started walking.

"I… um… well, do you—what's your name?" I faltered. Smooth. She stared at me, probably because I had stumbled over such a simple question. Simple to her. To me, this was it. I felt like the moment I learned her name, I'd be bound to her. I couldn't ignore her anymore, couldn't pretend she was a blip somewhere in the past… I couldn't pretend she didn't _exist_. It had been easier on my side of the well, where I'd never encounter her, never find evidence of her. Now she was here, and she was mine. No, that wasn't true. I hadn't done anything to deserve her. But she had me, whether she knew it or not. I was here now. I was with her.

"Oh no! I forgot! My name's Ame! I'm Ame."

I bowed to her, which was a little awkward, since we were still holding hands, but I managed it. "Ame, it is a pleasure to have met you."

She gave me a slightly crooked grin, bobbing her head enthusiastically instead of properly bowing. "You, too, Lady, but we have to hurry before my daddy gets really mad."

A short walk later and we had arrived at a campsite so like all the others it was hardly worth inspection. I swear I know of every small clearing in Japan. In the center of this one was a small campfire, entirely identical to all of the ones I had to build before…well, just before. Over the flames a few small rabbits were roasting; presumably intended for dinner. Guiltily, I realized they probably would not have enough to feed themselves and an unexpected (possibly unwelcome) visitor. And I was hungry again.

"Daddy? Shippo? I'm back. _And_ I'm hungry!" At least I wasn't the only one.

The campsite had appeared empty, but as soon as Ame made her presence known, there was a rustle from the edge of the clearing, and Inu Yasha appeared, another rabbit in his hands.

"Ame, when I say you can play on your own, it doesn't… mean…"

Stop. Stare. Blink. Stare. Drop rabbit. Stare.

"Holy shit."

I wondered, briefly, if Ame was accustomed to Inu Yasha extensive vocabulary of colorful expletives. Judging by her exasperated expression, she was.

"_No swearing_, Daddy."

Normally, I would be inclined to agree, but in this case, I thought "holy shit" was an appropriate choice. I felt much the same way myself.

The first thing I noticed was his hair. It was _gone_. Well, not gone. It had just been cut. Where it had once been an impressive white curtain down his back, it was now barely past his shoulders and had been tied back in a horsetail. His clothes were the same, but previously they had given the impression of being slightly oversized. Now he filled them out properly.

And his face. It looked…older? Longer? Just different. It was the face of an established adult, not an overgrown kid. Did I, too, look like I had grown? Every day I looked in the mirror and just saw myself staring back. Maybe I looked like a grown-up now, and it just happened too gradually for me to notice.

"Kagome." My name from his mouth made me want to melt. I had spent so much time without him I had forgotten…. The piece of me that I hadn't even realized had been missing fell suddenly into place. Just because he said my name. "Kagome, you're back." 

The master of redundancy, that's my Inu Yasha.

Ame moved between Inu Yasha and me, put her hands on her hips, and said, firmly, "Daddy, this is the lady I met while I was playing so be nice to her, because she's my friend."

He knelt before her. "'The lady?' 'Friend?' You mean she didn't tell you who she was?" Oh good, my glorious return would be tainted before it even began.

She opened her mouth to respond, closed it, thought for a moment. "Oh. I forgot to ask her name."

"No, no, she should have told you. If she knew who you were, she should have told you." He gave me a concerned look. Its tenderness caught me off guard. 

"Told me what? She didn't know who I am; she had to ask my name. Why should she know who I am? We just met." Ame was clearly puzzled, and becoming distressed. I didn't blame her. In her position, I would have preferred to skip all the vagaries and just find out what the hell he was talking about. 

"This is Kagome, Ame. She's your mother." Admittedly, the announcement was incredibly blunt, but that was Inu Yasha's usual style, and to his credit, he had said it as gently as possible. There was nothing bitter, nothing accusing, nothing even remotely hostile about his tone. Still, his words had a painful feeling, an ache that hung in the air. At the word "mother," I think both Inu Yasha and I flinched.

Ame turned and stared at me for a moment before returning her attention to her father.

"Daddy, that's a mean joke. Don't—" She noticed his expression. He looked like he was trying to _will_ her to understand, to make her believe. "She…" Her voice trailed off. Glancing behind her, as if afraid I'd come after her, she rushed to him and stationed herself behind his legs. From the shelter they offered, she peeked around them and stared at me. "You are?"

I nodded. I didn't trust myself to speak. Actually, I'm amazed I managed to pull myself together enough for even the nod.

"Oh." She seemed to shrink a bit. I felt a sense of loss, knowing that it would be a while before I could see her shining, bubbly self again. It was easier to be so happy around a new friend than a long-lost mother. 

She was fighting back tears again, I could tell. Inu Yasha could, too, and he turned and bent so that he could pick her up. He balanced her on his hip and looked into her eyes. "Hey, what's wrong? I thought you'd be happy to see her?"

"I am, Daddy… I…Just… She…" She hiccuped miserably. Inu Yasha tightened his grip temporarily, the closest he could manage to a hug at the moment. He whispered some encouragement in her ear. I felt so alone, standing a few feet away and in another world. I had never seen him like this, would never know what had changed him into the man I was seeing now. I felt like I would never get the chance to do the same thing myself. How could I? What could I possibly do to make her love me and trust me, in the way she did him? "I _am_ happy to meet my mommy, but…she asked me what my name was." I didn't understand the significance of this until she murmured, "She didn't know my name…." She rubbed her eyes in a surprisingly effective attempt to prevent the tears from falling.

Poor kid. I didn't have the heart to tell her I didn't even know that she was a girl until this afternoon.

He squeezed her again, rested her head on his shoulder, rubbed her back. I heard his faint whisper, too quiet for me to make out what he had said, but she could, and she nodded. She released his neck and slid down his body to the ground in the boneless way that all children accustomed to being carried do, and wandered over to the fire. I was half tempted to follow her, suddenly fascinated by the concept of a tiny human that had come _from me_. I wanted to know everything about her.

At the same time, I knew the desire was just an excuse to get as far away from Inu Yasha as I thought I could manage. Already I was turning away from him, ready to make for the fire. Funny, you think you're prepared to face something like this, and when the time comes, you're just as prepared to run for it. Fortunately, I think he saw it coming, because he caught my arm and pulled me back to him.

"Hey you," he said softly. It looked like he wasn't entirely sure it _was_ me. For some reason, he couldn't or wouldn't look at my face. Instead, his attention seemed focused on my shoulder. Going strictly by his expression, you would have thought it was the part of me he had missed most. 

I was secretly rejoicing at the feeling of his big, warm hand around my arm. This was it; this was what I needed. More and more of my self was clicking into place, Inu Yasha's presence filling the remaining gaps utterly. Even if things were awkward now, I was convinced we'd figure it out. We _had_ to.

"So…" he started. Paused. He seemed to be picking his words carefully. "I…ah…. Oh hell, who's the guy?"

The guy? _The guy_? What was he talking about? _Who_ was he talking about?

Either I was even more transparent or he had grown more perceptive; the former seemed more likely, but I was beginning to realize, in a strangely desperate kind of way, that Inu Yasha had matured. He was a grown up now, and as briefly that I had been in his company, I could see that he'd outstripped me. I found the role reversal comforting or terrifying at the same time. 

Anyway, he saw my panic and confusion, and simply fingered the jacket hanging around my shoulders gently. Hideaki. I'd forgotten.

"Oh… he's a friend."

"A very good friend?" he asked, his eyebrow arched.

"You would certainly think so. He's the one who pushed me down the well."

"Someone had to push you? You couldn't go on your own?" He looked dismayed. From his side, it must have looked pretty bad; to go years and years without me, and then to find out that I didn't even want to be here.

Screw him. He sealed the damn well in the first place.

"I tried to come back! Three days after the—after Ame was born, I tried. And do you know what happened? Jack squat! I couldn't get through! You can't lock me out and then yell at me for being late! I mean--"

He put his hand over my mouth. "Don't shout like that. Yes, I sealed the well. That was a mistake. I realized that right away. I unsealed it after about two weeks. You would have known that if you'd tried more than once."

I opened my mouth to defend myself, but what was the point? The damage was done; it wasn't as if I could get him to give in and tell me I'm right. Even if, by some miracle, he did, it wouldn't change the fact that I had been absent for nearly five years. Much easier to let it go and save my energy. So I just said, "Yes, I would have." And that was that.

We were silent for a moment, until Ame called to him that she wanted her dinner. Then he led me to the fire, and we all sat down together. Without really meaning to, I took the place between her and Inu Yasha. Abruptly, she stood, and walked very deliberately around to his other side. He acted as though nothing had happened, and simply took a rabbit off the fire, gave some to her and some to me and took the rest for himself. We ate in silence, but it wasn't as uncomfortable as I would have expected. The tension was somewhat alleviated by the fact that I could see Ame periodically peering around her father to watch me. I took it as a good omen that she was not ignoring me. At least she was willing to admit I existed, which was more than I'd given her in her lifetime. There was hope for us yet.

Maybe.

Halfway through our meal, Shippo found his way into the clearing. To say that he was happy to see me would be like saying the Pacific was damp. He was positively ecstatic, hurling himself at me full force, squealing delightedly. I would say he was getting a bit old for that sort of behavior, but it felt good to hold him in my arms again. He was my son, there was no denying it.

So why had I been so afraid of my other child?

Shippo's arrival meant the end of our silent meal; he happily and rapidly filled me in on _everything_ I'd missed. I could barely follow him. But I was happy to hear it none the less. 

After dinner, Inu Yasha put Ame to bed and eventually managed to talk Shippo into joining her. I watched the entire spectacle from my seat by the fire. "Spectacle" was the only word for it; Ame was not keen on going to bed, and she put up an impressive fight in order to avoid it. She even tried climbing a tree to escape her father. She didn't get too far, and inevitably was captured and tucked in. Shippo was more cooperative, but not much.

Once the kids were tucked away, he rejoined me at the fire. We sat quietly, him watching the flames and me watching his profile. Finally, he said, "You know what was weird? She didn't know what the world was. It was all new to her. When I realized it was up to me to teach her, I thought, 'Shit, I hope I don't screw this up.' It was so weird to have to tell her things that I _knew_. I know the sky is blue; that's what it is. She didn't even know what blue was. I had to show her. And when I was done with that, I still had to tell her what the sky was."

I said nothing. He turned and looked into my eyes. I drew in a breath.

"She'll warm up to you. And then you can have your turn at teaching her."

Easy for him to say. He didn't have years of private fantasies and Shippo's testimony to live up to. 

I didn't want to say that. I just nodded. We watched the flames for another moment.

"So did Sango and Miroku tell you where to find me? Where are they, anyway?"

Shit. I knew I was forgetting something.

To Be Continued….

Author's Note:

Hey! Long time, no work done whatsoever. I'm really sorry about that. I meant to be super-productive this summer, and I just ended up being really lazy instead. Don't worry; I'm going to be starting college in a week (eep), and once I get there and people start giving me work to do, I'll instantly start doing other, less productive things instead. Bad for my GPA, but good for whoever has been following this thing. Yay! 


	8. A Little Stranger

__

Unexpected

An Inu Yasha Fan Fiction by Caitlin M.

moogleheadgirl@cs.com

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha or anything associated with it. So don't sic any lawyers on me.

Chapter 8: A Little Stranger

Almost as if waiting in the bushes for their cue (knowing Miroku, they probably _were_), the errant couple emerged into the clearing, wearing identical bewildered expressions and a few leaves in their hair, but otherwise fine. Miroku made a show of brushing himself off and turned to the fire. Spotting me, his face took on a look of calculated surprise, and he spread his arms wide in a dramatic gesture obviously meant to show how _shocked_ he was to see me.

"Kagome! Thank _goodness_! We were _so worried_ about you! What are you _doing_ here? How on _earth_ did you _manage_ to—'

At this point Sango elbowed him enthusiastically in the ribs, and as a result we all had to hear his complaints of extensive bruising for several days. For the moment, however, it did shut him up.

"After you failed to come back, we figured we'd just find Inu Yasha and convince him to track you down. I'm glad to see he already has," she said, succinctly communicating something that would have taken Miroku three times as long to get out.

"Yes! We feared the worst when you failed to return to our waiting arms, and so desperate were we to have you restored to us that we— "

Sango calmly placed her hand over Miroku's mouth.

"I don't know about you, _dearest_, but I'm so tired I could drop off right now and sleep all night without _ever once interrupting Kagome and Inu Yasha_."

It wasn't a particularly subtle hint, but we had all long since learned that subtlety was the last thing Miroku responded to. And Inu Yasha. And, come to think of it, Shippo. Sango and I were surrounded.

She took her hand off his mouth while he feigned a dawning understanding. I will forever be impressed with the sheer height that man's eyebrows are capable of.

"Ah…I see…" He turned and took Sango's arm on his own. "Come, Moon of my Heart, we shall retire together." Half leading and half dragging one another, the two made their way to the other side of the clearing, presumably to make their beds. At least, I hope to make their beds. I don't think I want to know what else they'd be doing…

A thought occurred to me. "Are they married?" I asked, turning to the moon of _my_ heart. Although I'll be damned if I would ever actually say that aloud.

"They're mated. Isn't that enough?" he snorted, rather defensively, leaning against a nearby tree. I was a bit hurt; after all, I had left even though we were mated…

Actually, that's probably why he said it.

"By that logic, Inu Yasha, Miroku probably has obligations to _several_ women."

There was a moment of silence. I was amazed; I have never before heard so little from him, including the times he's been in a snit and refused to talk to anyone. He had a rather unorthodox version of the silent treatment, mostly because it was actually louder than when you were on speaking terms. Just because he wasn't talking to you didn't mean he wasn't going to shout at you. 

"Good point." And now he was admitting I was right! Good lord. Will wonders never cease? I should have abandoned him with a child a long time ago.

OK, I'm sorry. That was an awful thing to say, even in an inner monologue. I promise you, I'll never say it again. 

"I'm really tired…um…" I trailed off. Awkward situation, really. Where on earth was I expected to sleep?

He spread his arms wide, Tetsusaiga resting against his shoulder, and raised his eyebrows in a way that suggested he had been taking cues from Miroku. I, however, was not having any of that.

"I am _not_ sleeping against a tree."

"You won't be sleeping against a tree."

"Then I'm not sleeping against you against a tree. I want the closest approximation to a real bed as I can get."

He rolled his eyes, but stood and produced from somewhere or another a large pack, not entirely unlike the one he had always scolded me for carrying. From it he removed a bedroll; not a sleeping bad as such, but a feudal predecessor and more than good enough, considering the alternative. I climbed in immediately, felt Inu Yasha slide in behind me. An arm found its way around my waist and a hand took mine. I closed my eyes, felt his breath on my neck, and was asleep.

***

I awoke the next morning to find two sets of inquisitive eyes entirely too close to my face.

"Are they _dead_?" asked one set of eyes.

"'Course not. Why would they be?" chided the other.

"They haven't moved in _forever_. Why aren't they up yet?"

"Well, you know how when Sango and Miroku were still trying to have a baby, and sometimes when we went to wake them up— "

"Okay, kids! That's enough," interceded another voice. I opened my eyes a little wider to confirm that Sango had saved me. "I know! Who's up for breakfast?" She bent and deftly scooped Ame up with one arm and captured Shippo's hand with her unoccupied one, and led them away from our bed. 

I was entirely prepared to stay in bed until the end of time, but Inu Yasha was starting to disentangle himself from the blanket, with more violence than most people would do, but with considerably less than I would consider typical of him. All the while, he was muttering something under his breath. I managed to make out "Damn kids," but he was grinning from ear to ear.

So very surreal.

He helped me out of the bedding next, and from across the clearing I heard Ame shout, "Hey! It is not like when Sango and Miroku were trying to have a baby! Look, they still have their clothes on—!"

It was up to Miroku to distract her this time; Sango had turned brilliant pink and seemed to have forgotten how to breathe normally. Inu Yasha was laughing hysterically, and was joined by a not-at-all chagrined Miroku. Shippo's laughter was less audible, but his madly shaking shoulders gave him away.

Once the laughter died down a bit, Miroku turned a dazzling smile to his inamorata, obviously hoping he'd win her forgiveness. "You seem somewhat tense, my dear. Perhaps a long soak in a hot spring will help you relax? Inu Yasha tells me there's one near by…."

Sango eyed him skeptically, as if she suspected him of something. She flashed a quick look to Inu Yasha and—apparently picking up a signal from it—he nodded.

"Ame, Shippo, bad news. It's bath time."

This was met with protests far too loud and numerous to have been produced by two such tiny beings. I wondered if the trees created echoes.

"Are they always this…vocal?" I asked as Inu Yasha picked up a heavily struggling Ame and held her tightly to prevent escape. Miroku and Sango had already made short work of capturing Shippo.

"Trust me, they're on their best behavior right now."

I didn't quite believe him until I heard Sango sigh wistfully to Miroku: "Don't you wish it was this easy _everyday_?"

Although I felt I should be grateful I was getting the least of their terrors, it was still a disappointment that not even Shippo was comfortable enough around me to bring out the really big guns.

While Sango and Inu Yasha held their captives, Miroku and I packed up the rest of camp, and together we made the trek to the spring.

The walk was silent but for the children's occasional muffled protests, and while at first I took up the rear, Sango and Miroku soon started lagging behind, and I eventually found myself keeping pace with Inu Yasha.

I attempted to start a conversation, just to see what would happen…. "What was that thing with you and Sango?"

"Hmm?" he asked, apparently distracted by Ame biting his had in an escape attempt.

"She gave you a look, and you gave her a look, an then…"

"Oh, that. You remember what it was like when it was just you, me, and Miroku, right? It's just keeping one step ahead of the f—um." He glanced down that the bundle attempting to extract itself from his grip. "Staying ahead of the…er…scamp."

"You and Sango learned to communicate non-verbally in order to keep Miroku under control?"

"Er…kinda."

"I've been out of the loop too long," I sighed.

"Well, you know whose fault that is," he said reassuringly. I considered being insulted, but it was the truth. At the very least, I could take comfort in the fact that somewhere deep down inside, underneath all the maturity and responsibility and paternity, there was still the sulking childish jerk I had fallen in love with, however inexplicably. Not that I wasn't learning to appreciate the new stuff.

Finally we reached the spring, and Inu Yasha and Sango knelt to prepare their respective hostages for their bath. Ame, however, halted the proceedings when she declared that she wanted to take a bath with her daddy. Then Shippo got into the act and announced that he wanted to take a bath with me like we used to. Sango said she didn't want a bath with anyone, she just wanted to soak for a while because it helped her aching back, and by then Miroku decided that if everyone else was going to, he might as well, too.

"Together?"

"Yes."

"All six of us?"

"Yes."

"And this won't be the most awkward event of our lives because…?"

"It'll be a family thing!"

"_How_?"

"Well, Kagome can get to know her daughter and rebuild the bonds she already has with her mate and her son."

"And how do you fit in here?"

"You can't tell me that two kids eager to avoid a bath won't create more than enough work for four people. And we want to catch up with you, too, Kagome."

"In a bath."

"Yes."

"_In a bath_."

"Look, I'm a one-woman man, if that's what you're saying. Eyes only for Sango, that sort of thing."

"And any psychological damage Ame might incur from bathing in the presence of a complete stranger claiming to be her mother?"

"Oh, come on, now!"

To my surprise, Ame tugged on the bottom of my shirt, and looked up at me with great big, guilt-inducing eyes.

"Please, Miss Mommy? It'll be fun. I'll be extra good. Please?"

I dropped to one knee so I could interact with her at her level.

"You really want to?" Can you blame me for being somewhat incredulous? 

She nodded. "Yes, Miss Mommy."

I turned and looked at the entourage standing behind me, each wearing expressions of extreme embarrassment. Except for Miroku, who just looked like he was suppressing what was no doubt loud, obnoxious laughter.

"Pleeeeease?" Ame appealed once more.

Inu Yasha looked and Sango. Sango looked at Miroku. Miroku looked rapidly between Sango and me several times until he caught Inu Yasha's eye. Then his attention focused squarely on Sango. Shippo just grinned and hopped into my arms.

"Let's do it!"

And that's how I ended up naked with my two best friends, my mate, my son, and a little stranger. 

Author's note:

Hi! Sorry it's been so long, but like I said, I've got school (which I'm enjoying vastly, in case you cared). I'd just like to say thank you to everyone who sent me a review. I loved them all; the compliments, the entreaties, and even the criticism. Keep them coming! Without your advice, I can't grow as a writer…and then what would you do? Also remember that I am open to suggestions; if there's an interesting direction you think this story could go, let me know. If you'd like me to email you to let you know when I actually do get off my butt and update, just send me an email telling me as much. We'll see if I remember to it out. 

Fun fact: the word "inamorata" is a synonym for "lover" that basically means "the woman that I love." The masculine version is "inamorato." It's one of my favorite words. Go out into the world and spread the love. 

One more thing: have you all read my Chobits story? If you haven't, please give it a shot (unless you're not a Chobits fan, of course). I've also got a few Fruits Basket fics in mind…hopefully you'll see them soon!


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